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As I typed the title for this thread, I was reminded of the song of the same title by The Fixx (yes, I'm old...) But I digress...
Anyone who knows me at all knows that I'm a believer in Everything Is The Same Subject - as in, everything is related to everything else - you just have to look for the connections.
We're in the middle of a kitchen remodel right now and I'm limited to what you see in the attached pics as far as storage and work surface goes. We're eating on my crafting table in my studio. What does this have to do with stamping?
I've been AMAZED at how little "stuff" I need to get meals prepared and do other "kitchen-y" things. No fancy appliances, only a few bowls and plates, NO PANS, a fistful of silverware and very few utensils...
I'm following a thread over in the Mission Organization forum about tables and how big they are and what we put on them and all, and one girl crafts in a closet and says it works just fine. Between all of the above and other threads I've followed in the past and my recent purging sprees, it's made me look again at what I have and what I use and how much I really want/need. I feel another purge comin' on...
Anyone else discovering that "less is more"? Anyone out there who never acquired TOO MUCH STUFF to begin with?
I had a purge over Christmas. My youngest son moved out, so we stripped the room out, decorated it, and I moved my craft stuff in there, so we could decorate my old room- it seemed easier than packing up my stuff to decorate my room, then putting it away again! I was actually shocked by how much stuff I had, how much of it I had forgotten about because I hadn't seen it for months (or longer). So, I sorted as I moved. Quite ruthlessly too- if I hadn't used it for a year, it went. If, hand on heart, I knew I was never going to do something, or use it, it went. I had so much that I was 'going to get round to', and realistically, that was only going to happen if I had the cats 9 lives, lol.Now its much better, stuff isn't buried away, and I actually don't feel so overwhelmed by it. We did much the same when we had our roof replaced, and the bedroom ceiling remodelled. Ours is an old Victorian house, so built in storage is very sparse. We were really ruthless here too- we'd done it in the past, but you keep putting stuff away because 'it might come in useful' etc One boxful of stuff that went to a charity store had been stored away since we moved in- 15 years ago! I figured we'd managed without its contents that long, we didn't need it.
I am always purging. Food has never been a priority for me, so I already have very little kitchen stuff. All my clothes fit on hangers on a bar over the washing mashine and dryer. Right now everything I love (all my stamps and stamp-related things) can fit into my car. I also have no contracts, and no monthly buying obligations. I can move or clamp down on expenses at a moment's notice. It took two years and a lot of planning to get to this point!!
I am always purging. Food has never been a priority for me, so I already have very little kitchen stuff. All my clothes fit on hangers on a bar over the washing mashine and dryer. Right now everything I love (all my stamps and stamp-related things) can fit into my car. I also have no contracts, and no monthly buying obligations. I can move or clamp down on expenses at a moment's notice. It took two years and a lot of planning to get to this point!!
Good for you, I say! I'm on my way to being close-to-minimalist, although not quite as extreme as yourself! Some of the things I'm keeping right now are going to my children who need/want them when we visit this summer - then I'll have considerably less "stuff" in my space. We're moving in a couple of years (we have an obligation here until September 2014), so my goal is to be totally mobile by then. We plan to take very little with us, so my mantra when I purge is "Am I willing to move this across the country?" If the answer is no, then I don't see the point n keeping it now, either
Good for you, I say! I'm on my way to being close-to-minimalist, although not quite as extreme as yourself! Some of the things I'm keeping right now are going to my children who need/want them when we visit this summer - then I'll have considerably less "stuff" in my space. We're moving in a couple of years (we have an obligation here until September 2014), so my goal is to be totally mobile by then. We plan to take very little with us, so my mantra when I purge is "Am I willing to move this across the country?" If the answer is no, then I don't see the point n keeping it now, either
Ah yes, the need to move is the overriding impetus behind me being so "extreme" lol. I anticipate that I will have to move in the near future for my job. This expectation has magically erased all my desires for fancy, beautiful antique furniture, wallpaper, beautiful luxurious curtains, cute little knick knacks (?) etc.
As I typed the title for this thread, I was reminded of the song of the same title by The Fixx (yes, I'm old...) But I digress...
Anyone who knows me at all knows that I'm a believer in Everything Is The Same Subject - as in, everything is related to everything else - you just have to look for the connections.
We're in the middle of a kitchen remodel right now and I'm limited to what you see in the attached pics as far as storage and work surface goes. We're eating on my crafting table in my studio. What does this have to do with stamping?
I've been AMAZED at how little "stuff" I need to get meals prepared and do other "kitchen-y" things. No fancy appliances, only a few bowls and plates, NO PANS, a fistful of silverware and very few utensils...
I'm following a thread over in the Mission Organization forum about tables and how big they are and what we put on them and all, and one girl crafts in a closet and says it works just fine. Between all of the above and other threads I've followed in the past and my recent purging sprees, it's made me look again at what I have and what I use and how much I really want/need. I feel another purge comin' on...
Anyone else discovering that "less is more"? Anyone out there who never acquired TOO MUCH STUFF to begin with?
Unfortunately, I have this horrible affliction called "must have it all". I hate wanting to make a card and not having the right paper for a card that I've seen. I'm trying to learn to use what I have (hard to do believe it or not). And I really need to cut back on my monthly spending! It's getting out of control!
I have a lot of stuff. Too much. Getting a project started then completed is overwhelming when you factor in all the decisions that are made along the way about which stuff to use where then looking for it and actually using it. My stuff is in a big mess and my dream is to have a real craft room with all my stuff organized how I like it, accessible and in one spot. A girl can dream!
Mary Beth
I am always purging. Food has never been a priority for me, so I already have very little kitchen stuff. All my clothes fit on hangers on a bar over the washing mashine and dryer. Right now everything I love (all my stamps and stamp-related things) can fit into my car. I also have no contracts, and no monthly buying obligations. I can move or clamp down on expenses at a moment's notice. It took two years and a lot of planning to get to this point!!
I would love to do what you have done. I am approaching retirement age and have thought a lot about living in an RV. In order to get to that point I will have to purge more than just my craft supplies. I see lots of yard sales and donations in my future.
I would love to do what you have done. I am approaching retirement age and have thought a lot about living in an RV. In order to get to that point I will have to purge more than just my craft supplies. I see lots of yard sales and donations in my future.
Ahhh, I would love to live in a beautiful luxurious RV!! Instead, I am planning to just buy the cheapest trailer I can find, in the cheapest lot-rent trailer park that I can find and then when I need to move again, sell it and move to another trailer. < SIGH > But this way I can avoid apartment leases. And I have a lifetime before I can retire! :(
Well, Sue, depends on how you define "too much stuff". My stamping stuff is contained in one cabinet that is 43 inches wide and almost 7 feet tall. Except ribbon. I used to use lots of ribbon. I don't so much any more, but it doesn't take up much room in my closet. And I'm not buying any more until I find myself using more. So am I under control on my ribbon?
Well, my punches have overflowed onto a little wire cart.
I have a very small table in my craft room that is for my watercolor painting (its only 19 x 26 inches) and all my coloring media are on a little shelf unit thingy on that table...prismas, chalks, markers, watercolor pencils and crayons, scrapbook journaling markers...and all my tubes of watercolor are there as well.
Maybe I need to think about my space too. I don't want to expand any more. In fact my dream is to move into our other, smaller bedroom and have custom furniture built for it.
Actually, maybe I need to do something about everything ELSE that gets shoved in that room behind a closed door. :oops:
I have a lot of stuff. I turned my son's bedroom into my craft room. I have an 8 ft. banquet table as my stamping table. I also have a walk in closet with a lot of my stuff stored in there. I also have 12 jet max cubes. I like all my stuff and don't like to purge.
__________________ My husband lets me have all the stamping supplies I can hide.
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I have a lot of stuff. I turned my son's bedroom into my craft room. I have an 8 ft. banquet table as my stamping table. I also have a walk in closet with a lot of my stuff stored in there. I also have 12 jet max cubes. I like all my stuff and don't like to purge.
That last line made me smile (a LOT)! That used to be me, for sure! I'm not really sure what tipped me a different direction, but I'm finding it very liberating to get rid of stuff. To be fair, it took me nearly a decade to get to this point, so I spent a good, long time acquiring and hoarding! Even in the midst of all of the purging I'm discovering things that I haven't used - ever! - and some of it I'm still not willing to part with. Other things I can't figure out what I was thinking when I acquired them in the first place, so it's no big deal to send them out into "the flow"...
Diane - I've been envious of your cabinet since I very first saw pics of it, and the little bit of "overflow" that you've mentioned is (in my mind) still not out of control! Even though I'm purging quite a bit, I still have A LOT of "stuff"! Can your carpenter friend come and build a cabinet for me? Please?
Thanks, Sue! I like my cabinet! Although if I ever realize that dream of mine (fat chance!) you get first chance for my cabinet!
I'm being more honest now...I keep way too many colors of paper. I got rid of UNOPENED paper when the major renovation came around several years ago, but I am keeping all the in colors...which turned out to be a blessing this year, I guess. But I don't use a ton of colored paper...and while I don't have a ton, I have a lot!
Wow! I'm totally "Not There", but I am trying to take baby steps. I totally agree that less is huge in not feeling overwhelmed. I may need counseling to get there completely. LOL
__________________ The way to knowLIFEis to LOVEmany things!- Vincent Van Gogh
One thing leads to another
